Batgirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics , depicted as female counterparts to the superhero Batman. Although the character Betty Kane was introduced into publication in by Bill Finger and Sheldon Moldoff as Bat-Girl, she was replaced by Barbara Gordon in , who later came to be identified as the iconic Batgirl [ citation needed ]. The character debuted in Detective Comics January by writer Gardner Fox and artist Carmine Infantino , introduced as the daughter of police commissioner James Gordon. Batgirl operates in Gotham City , allying herself with Batman and the original Robin , Dick Grayson , along with other masked vigilantes. The character appeared regularly in Detective Comics , Batman Family , and several other books produced by DC until She subsequently appeared in Alan Moore 's graphic novel Batman: The Killing Joke where, in her civilian identity, she is shot by the Joker and left paraplegic. Although she is reimagined as the computer expert and information broker Oracle by editor Kim Yale and writer John Ostrander the following year, her paralysis sparked debate about the portrayal of women in comics , particularly violence depicted toward female characters. In the storyline " No Man's Land ", the character Helena Bertinelli , known as Huntress , briefly assumes the role of Batgirl until she is stripped of the identity by Batman for violating his stringent codes.
Women in Batman Movies
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Batgirl/Oracle
Batgirl 35 cover by Cameron Stewart. The mean streets of Gotham City have a number of guardian angels watching over them. And one of the first—the young woman who turned the Dynamic Duo into the Batman family—was Batgirl. Barbara Gordon has always existed between two worlds: her life at home as the only daughter of Police Commissioner James Gordon and her life swinging from gargoyles as an associate of the Dark Knight and a founding member of the Birds of Prey. Do you share a birthday with a DC creator or character in September? Calling all Batgirl fans—and this time, we really do mean ALL Batgirl fans—what you are about to see is not a test. Not a drill. No dream, or imaginary story.
From to , she was the superheroine Batgirl ; from to November, , she had been known as Oracle. In Batgirl Vol 4 1, she recovered from her injuries and hit the streets as Batgirl once again. As Batgirl, Barbara Gordon has been described as one of the most popular characters to appear during the Silver Age of Comic Books and is also regarded as a pop culture icon due to her appearances in the Batman television series of the late s and continued media exposure. The Barbara Gordon version of Batgirl has been adapted into various media relating to the Batman franchise, including merchandise, television, and animation. During the early s, the character was also used as an advocate for women's rights. Following the editorial retirement of the character's Batgirl persona in , Alan Moore's graphic novel Batman: The Killing Joke depicts the Joker shooting Gordon through the spinal cord in her civilian identity and leaving her a paraplegic. Although Gordon would no longer resume her role as Batgirl in subsequent stories, editor Kim Yale and writer John Ostrander soon established the character as a computer expert and information broker code-named Oracle, providing intelligence and computer hacking services to assist other superheroes. The character first appeared as Oracle in Suicide Squad 23 January Editor Julius Schwartz claimed that when planning the new Batgirl's comic book debut, he had considered the character to be a vehicle that might attract a female viewership to the Batman television series of the sixties. When producers William Dozier and Howie Horowitz saw rough concept artwork by artist Carmine Infantino during a visit to DC offices, they optioned the character in a bid to help sell a third season to the ABC television network.
